Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the two years that I have become a Member representing the Mackenzie Delta, there has been time and time again that I wonder exactly if anyone is listening in relation to my concerns and issues that I have raised in the last two years, especially in areas such as health, the well-being of the residents; also in regard to the cuts that have been made, especially in relation to the Mackenzie Delta; things such as the Knute Lang Camp, closure to Delta House, Tl'oondih healing program; concerns in regard to the water supply in Fort McPherson; the whole idea of infrastructure in my riding, especially the concern in relation to the Chief Julius School that was destroyed by fire almost two years ago; regarding the assistance of the departments to assist my region, especially in the areas that I listed and especially in regard to the health and well-being of those residents.
I think that, for myself, I find it awfully frustrating, especially when time and time again you think you are making some progress by passing motions in the committee of the whole and having the Premier stand up making statements that you will assist me along with the different Ministers from Social Services and area in regards to the Tl'oondih healing program. At the end, it seemed to all fall on deaf ears, and basically the decisions are made that jeopardize the whole process.
The same thing in regard to the gymnasium in Fort McPherson, for the Chief Julius School, it is another issue where I thought there was a commitment made by this government to assist the community along with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs; by the Minister of Finance and also the Premier, along with the Department of Education to assist in the area of allowing the community the flexibility to move specific projects and capital and basically used to pay for the conclusion in construction of the full-sized gymnasium.
In regard to the decision by the Department of Justice, in regard to the Knute Lang Camp in Aklavik, in which there was a commitment made by the previous Minister to allow that project to go forth, and then the commitment was cancelled. Where you see alternative sources of funding were issued for similar projects, but allocated to other areas and not allowing Aklavik the same opportunity in regard to those funds to conclude the proposal that was put forth to the Minister.
Regarding the whole area of community empowerment, the whole negotiation process, giving communities more power in relation to the negotiations, transfers to communities; I am talking specifically about Aklavik, in which Aklavik has been in this endeavour for a number of years, almost four years, negotiating certain projects, regarding the elders facility, looking at transfers of programs and services. Yet at the present time they find themselves in limbo because there were no funds available to the community to negotiate the adequate resources to hire and to be able to have the people do research and conclude those negotiations with the limited resources they have received. At the present time because of the new criteria that is being used to negotiate so called community empowerment initiatives, they find themselves without the resources that they need to conclude those negotiations and to carry on the progress that has been made to date.
In the area that I spoke a lot about, in relation to the health and well-being of community members and in regard to issues I bring up in this House - suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse; I think sometimes it would make you wonder if the Members and the Premier feel it is a concern or is it basically there are more important things out there than the health and well-being of our residents when it comes to the whole issue of health. In order to have strong and economic regions, you have to have healthy people.
In regard to the economic potential we have in the Mackenzie Delta, which is pretty close to nil, that sometimes we see what is happening in other areas in regard to capital projects, regarding negotiations that is going on between the federal government, Government of the Northwest Territories, mining companies, oil and gas companies, lumber companies and we make ourselves wonder exactly when will we see some of these economic spin offs arrive at our doorstep?
I think in order to be fair to all areas, all regions and all people in the Northwest Territories, we have to allow the government and the programs to be delivered in such a way that is adequately and sufficiently distributed to everyone.
Regarding the health and well-being of the people in the Northwest Territories, we hear about the alcohol and drug programs being cut. There was the big debate of the $2 million being taken out of the Inuvik Regional Health Board budget. Also in regard to the number of people laid off in our particular region, in regard to government employees, the whole area; I have asked a lot of questions on, especially in relation to this government was the area in regard to health programs, TI'oondih Healing Society, Tetlit'zheh construction, capital projects in the Northwest Territories, the way they have been allocated. Funds have been used to build capital projects. The whole idea of aboriginal rights and treaty rights, regarding the northern accord process, which we were told was a priority of this government; in two years it has basically come to a standstill.
For my region, my riding, that is one area where we see the possibility of having potential. Especially in light of the only real renewable resource that we have in regard to oil and gas. That has been proven. Without a northern accord agreement, we feel that the obligations that fall within certain land claim agreements and also the uncertainty it leaves to not only government but to industry, that we have to somehow fulfil this obligation and conclude it as soon as possible. But to date, nothing has been done.
The biggest concern I have in relation to this government, in particular the area of Department of Health and Social Services. I have raised issues time and time again in regard to the health and well-being of the residents of the Mackenzie Delta with no real progress in any of those particular areas. Sometimes I wonder why? Is it because of myself as the individual representing that area or the lack of obligation from that department to my particular region? In regard to the health and well-being of the people I represent, I think it is critical at this time, we have the resources and the infrastructure there. I do not see why we do not have the flexibility we see in other areas, especially when it comes to capital allocation and distribution and supplementary appropriations, where money is found which basically seems to float out of the air to do things; but when it comes to the health and well-being of my riding, it seems to be a real disgrace in regard to the way I have been dealt with in the last two years. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.